How to submit your letter of recommendation? Once a student submits his or her phase one application, an automated email will be sent to the faculty mentor(s) that the student listed in the application. Faculty mentors will be expected to email their letters of recommendation to Corey Colwill (ccolwill@bowdoin.edu), following the instructions sent to them in the automated email, by the phase two application deadline of Tuesday, February 25, 2014.

What should a letter of recommendation include? The letter of recommendation should evaluate the student’s qualifications to carry out the proposed project and assess the appropriateness of the project’s scope within the context of the discipline. Letters should also describe the faculty-student mentoring relationship in some detail (e.g., how often will the mentor and student meet, what are the mentor’s expectations for the student) and why this plan is appropriate for the project. Please note: brevity and lack of detail in the faculty mentor’s letter of recommendation raise questions about the degree of faculty support for the project. Faculty mentors will be expected to review student proposals before submitting their letters.

What is the timeline for the submission, review and notification process? See a complete timeline here.

How will a student’s proposal be evaluated?

Fit with fellowship criteria. The extent to which the proposed project meets the aims of the particular fellowship to which the student is applying should be explicitly stated.

Relevance and significance of the proposed project. How the proposed activities relate and make an original contribution to the broader scholarly or creative field should be clear.

Description of the proposed project. The research question or goal should be clearly stated and the methodology, processes and procedures plainly explained. The description should be concise, free of unnecessary jargon (or with specific terms defined) and easy to understand by a non-specialist.

Feasibility/scope of the proposed project. Evidence that the student has sufficient expertise, gained through previous coursework or research experience, to carry out the proposed project should be clearly outlined. In addition, what the student aims to complete, and by what dates, should be evident. The project should have a reasonable expectation of being completed.

Candidate's academic record. No GPA minimum is required; however, the transcript should provide evidence of sufficient coursework in the area of the proposed project and grades should indicate a strong understanding of the subject matter and likelihood of being able to carry out the project.

Potential for learning. How the project will significantly enhance the student’s academic development (e.g., completion of an honor’s project) and possibly career and personal development (e.g., presentation at a conference, preparation for graduate school) should be clearly stated.

Budget (when applicable). The budget should be comprehensive, specific, and reasonable. All costs should be relevant and essential to the project and be justified in the budget narrative. In general, budgets demonstrating frugality will be more competitive (e.g., shared accommodations, use of public transportation). Information about domestic and international travel costs can be found on the websites of the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Department of State, respectively. Students are advised, however, that the rates provided on these websites are in the higher range of what the Internal Student Fellowships Committee would expect to see in a student’s budget.

Frequent Problems

Proposed activity’s contribution to the broader field or community not clearly stated.

Procedures omitted, vaguely stated, or unrelated to the project; project unrealistic or unlikely to succeed.

Failure to speak adequately to the student’s development.

Failure to demonstrate the student’s and the mentor’s engagement in the project.

Inflated or unreasonable budget, or narrative or notes that do not clearly support the budget.

In addition to the above, please also keep in mind:

Inadequate attention to style raises questions about the student’s commitment to the project and likelihood to succeed.

For any questions regarding the process and requirements of submitting a letter of recommendation, please contact Corey Colwill (ccolwill@bowdoin.edu).